Herrera is at once a wise teacher and an anxious new U.S. poet laureate. The listener must write a poem, he thinks. Herrera is eager to help while he walks his dog, Lotus, and heads to DC's Library of Congress. This is no passive listen--it's an experience! There are sound effects as you learn to jabberwalk. Herrera's excitement guides the jabberwalking--gathering inspiration and making scribbles and burbles. The listener's poem will be brilliant--but the process is what this book is all about. Herrera stops his instruction for short remembrances of his childhood. The narration is less a book than a 1.5-hour spoken-word performance/writing lesson/kick in the pants to get writing. Take Herrera's advice and listen during a jabberwalk of creative inspiration.
(Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781543687378
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrators John Lithgow and Kate Mulgrew alternately share poems and songs created by Fred Rogers for his long-standing television show. Rogers's messages affirm children and give voice to the myriad feelings, good and bad, that all people feel from time to time. Wonder, joy, questions, exploration, outsides and insides, a new baby, one-of-a-kindness, needs emotional and material are examples of the breadth of Rogers's words. Lithgow's voice has its own richness, reminiscent of Rogers's own. His tone is firm and straightforward. When his voice expresses the anger of a poem, for example, he soon becomes calm as the anger fades. Kate Mulgrew is equally genuine and sets a pace for children's consideration of each message.
(Poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781683691808
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Updike’s 12 poems celebrate the changing seasons with images that might catch a child’s eye. His verses, some of which are very lovely, focus on changes in the natural world (from snow to mud to crocuses) and on celebrations that accompany these changes (Christmas, Valentine's, Fourth of July). Each verse ends with a sound image that connects to the month’s poem (such as the sound of fireworks or baseball heard on TV). Updike’s presentation is earnest. While he sometimes overemphasizes line breaks in his poems, he has a kind voice and reads carefully, allowing time for children to enjoy the lovely gem-like illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 13 mins
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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